


Scales

by SierraNelson



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Animalistic, Dragons, F/M, Fantasy, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-10
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2018-09-16 12:43:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9272327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SierraNelson/pseuds/SierraNelson
Summary: Follow Terra Greene, a NYC high school graduate as she navigates realizing she is a Dragon Princess. Instead of picking a college major she is learning to protect herself from rogue Dragons and handling reproductive heats.Oh, the joys of being royalty. And why does everyone keep referring to her as Alpha?*This work is subject to changes and rewrites at any moment. I’ll let you know when that happens though. I am desperate for constructive criticism.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This work is subject to changes and rewrites at any moment. I’ll let you know when that happens though. I am desperate for constructive criticism.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smell came out of nowhere. She was vaguely aware of it for months, much like the smell of her house or clothes, so she didn't pay much attention to it, but this was the first time it had hit her so hard in a public place. Frustratingly enough, though she was familiar with it, a little too much, she couldn't place it while in a hallway populated with others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of June 5, 2018, this Chapter has been updated.

The smell came out of nowhere. She was vaguely aware of it for months, much like the smell of her house or clothes, so she didn't pay much attention to it, but this was the first time it had hit her so hard in a public place. Frustratingly enough, though she was familiar with it, a little too much, she couldn't place it while in a hallway populated with others.

Terra's eyes searched frantically over the student body as they collectively strolled into the auditorium for their last graduation rehearsal. She growled low in her throat before turning to the Latina beside her.

“Lena? Do you smell that?” The girl in question smirked at Terra before bringing her hand to her nose in a comical gesture.

“You mean the guys from the gym that forgot to shower before rehearsal? Of course not,” she drawled. Terra chuckled and took a small whiff before grimacing and plugging her nose up too. The conflicting smells were starting to give her a headache.

“No, I mean the other smell; the sweet smell.” Lena's face quickly became quizzical and Terra shrugged it off. “Never mind.”

She noticed the smell again while sitting at the dinner table filling out college applications with the rest of the family. She took a deep breath and glanced up at Krista, where the smell was the strongest. She looked at her mother, Serena, whose nose was buried in her tax information that was to be submitted with her daughter's scholarship applications. Terra turned to the end of the table where the twins, Victoria and Nicole were researching colleges they might want to attend. Terra smirked to herself. The two sophomores were not nearly old enough to have to start researching colleges or even be 100% sure of what they wanted to do with their lives but dedicating a few hours every day to career planning had become a routine in their apartment a few months back and while they'd initially wanted no part of it, the act had brought them closer as a family. Terra took a deep breath and wrinkled her nose. The smell was still there wafting around Krista! It wasn't nearly strong enough for her to be the source of it but perhaps it was coming from someone she had hung around with or maybe something she'd done?

“Do you guys smell that?” she asked turning to Lena, who was putting the finishing touches on her scholarship essay. Both Krista and Lena's heads remained glued to their essays but Serena turned to Terra, quizzically.

“Smell what?” Serena asked.

“That, like, cinnamon smell,” Terra clarified. Serena took a deep breath but her face showed that she smelled nothing out of the ordinary. “No? Just me?” she asked disappointedly. Serena grinned sympathetically.

“Perhaps that’s just what you want right now,” Serena said as she put down her papers and removed her reading glasses. She rubbed the space between her eyes and sighed. “I could definitely go for something coated in cinnamon and sugar right now. What about you girls?” She asked the table. The twins perked up at the mention of food. Nicole hummed in agreement.

“Hot chocolate sounds awesome right now,” Victoria said as the two put their papers away and stood to gather their things. Both Krista and Lena grunted and Terra laughed, thanking her lucky stars that she had finished her essay hours ago.

“S’not funny,” Krista grumbled as her pencil moved furiously on the page. “I have to finish my essay tonight or I’m not gonna have time tomorrow to plan for prom and if I don’t have time to work on prom starting tomorrow then I’ll be rushing and if I’m rushing then I won’t have time to enjoy prom and if I don’t have time to enjoy prom then my college experience-”

“Okay, we get it!” Terra interrupted with a huff. Serena chuckled and winked at Terra before turning to Krista.

“Do you know the number one reason why most kids don’t get into college?” she asked. Kris and Len perked up, eager to hear the answer.  Serena smirked and leaned in closer to the two girls, while her hands, unbeknownst to the two, grabbed their papers. “They stress themselves out and ruin their entrance essays,” she said, swiping the papers and holding them close to her bosom while the two girls groaned in defiance.

“Mamá!” Lena wailed reaching for her paper.

“That’s enough for tonight. We’re going to Panera and you two are going to relax.”

“But-” Krista started but bit her lip at her mother's raised eyebrow. The decision was made. Both Krista and Lena pouted as the five made their way out of the apartment and traveled in a clump to the Panera Bread just a few blocks away. Serena sighed and embraced the two as they trudged, trying in vain to console them.

“Girls, your essays are already fantastic,” she started.

“I still need to type it,” Krista grumbled.

“And you can do that tomorrow,” Serena added. “And if you need to take a personal day off from school tomorrow to do so then you can.” Both Lena and Krista's shoulders relaxed just a bit and Terra smiled as the five approached the restaurant.

At Panera bread, Serena ordered the kitchen sink cookie and a decaf hazelnut coffee. Terra ordered the apple crunch muffin and a hot tea. Krista shared a pumpkin muffie with Lena while they both sipped on hot teas. Nicole and Victoria order the Hot Chocolate with Chocolate Chips and chocolate brownies.  The five sat in comfortable silence as, bite by bite, Krista and Lena began to relax and engage in frivolous prom conversation.

“Still going with Raheim?” Terra asked. Krista scoffed and Lena giggled.

“He’s going with Simone,” Lena answered.

“But I thought you guys were dating?” Serena asked.

“For a bit but he wanted to be friends,” Krista answered.

“They work better that way,” Lena said.

“Yeah, so I helped him ask her to prom,” Krista said pride beaming in her chest.

“Wait, would that proposal happen to have involved balloons?” Terra asked. Krista beamed even harder. “That was you? I can’t believe you! There were balloons covering the entire hallway!”

“Who’s going to say no to that? Besides, I already knew she liked him. She’s really bad at keeping secrets.”

“Good thing too,” Lena added. Terra snorted.

“Yeah, can you imagine if she hadn't?. Awkward….” Terra said while finishing the last of her muffin. Krista snorted.

“Yeah, that would have been horrible.”

“So if you're not going with Raheim, who are you going with?” Serena asked with a slight leer. Krista blushed and began giggling to herself. Lena smirked.

“Krista has a crush,” she sang as she tickled Krista's sides to keep her giggling.

“I do not!” Krista said adamantly but then Lena arched a perfectly kept eyebrow and snorted. “Okay, maybe a little bit. It's his fault, he needs to stop being cute.”

“Who?” Serena asked.

“There’s this new greek exchange student,” Krista started.

“Are we sure he’s Greek? He looks more Syrian to me,” Lena interrupted.

“I don’t know. Maybe nationally Greek and ethnically Syrian? Does it really matter?”

“Not really. Anyway, his name is Drake and she's obsessed,” Lena said with her face returning to the smarmy smirk.

“Lena!”

“Wait, Drake?” Terra asked. “He transferred in January. Have you been watching him for 4 months?” Krista's blush deepened but she nodded shyly. “And you still haven't made a move?” By now Krista’s normally peachy face resembled a ripe tomato and Lena could barely control her giggles at her sister's embarrassment. “Wow, you are obsessed,” Terra said in awe.

“Right?!” Lena said before bursting into laughter so hard that other restaurant goers glanced over at them in confusion, embarrassing Krista even more.

“Girls, leave your sister alone,” Serena reprimanded.

“Sorry, but it never takes you this long to go for it. What happened?” Terra asked.

“I don't know; He’s just...cuter than other boys. He’s quiet and well mannered and sweet. Most guys aren't.”

“Correction: most guys you go after aren't,” Lena said, poking Krista in the ribs again.

“That and I'm kinda...aggressive when I ask guys out. Don't wanna scare him off,” She said, her blush lessening.

“He’d be crazy to reject you. Just do it,” Lena said.

“I don't know,” said Krista, bowing her head.

“If you don't ask him to prom before the end of the week, I'll do it for you,” Lena said.

“You wouldn't dare,” Krista said with a gasp. Lena fixed her with a devilish smile.

“Try me,” She said with an air of finality. Krista gulped as the twins collectively choked on their hot chocolate desperately trying not to laugh at the whole situation.

The next day, Drake wholeheartedly accepted Krista's invitation to prom and Terra knew she'd be hearing about it nonstop until the day came. What she hadn't anticipated was that her baby sisters would drag her to prom, kicking and screaming.

“Can't you do this with Kris or Len? They're already planning to go,” Terra whined as the twin terrors dragged her through the mall looking for a prom dress.

“No, they already have everything planned out,” said Victoria, the more excitable of the two. Nicole smirked and looked up from her phone to point out one shop in particularly whose shop window held the frilliest dress Terra had ever seen in life.

“Exactly,” Nicole echoed as Victoria dragged Terra inside the shop. While the window sample had been excessive in their decoration, Terra was relieved when she saw that the dresses on the racks varied in the amounts of frills they employed. Victoria scoffed.

“Seriously, what do you have against girly things?”

“I don't,” Terra replied as the twins began searching through the racks. “I just don't like them,” she added as Nicole shoved a red dress into her arms.

“Too tight,” she said holding it against her body. Victoria rolled her eyes.

“You can't say that until you've tried it on!” She answered as Nicole shoved two other dresses into Terra's arms while simultaneously pushing her into the dressing room.

“Really? I know my own dress size,” Terra exclaimed.

“So do we,” Nicole quipped.

“I’m not your personal barbie doll!”

“Yes, you are!”

Terra scoffed and turned to the mirror plastered onto a sterile white wall. She held up the red dress and cocked her head to the side. While it was lacking frills and excessive tulle, it was obviously meant for girls who wanted to show off their curves. She shimmied out of her jean jacket, white tee, and black jeans before stepping into the red gown, avoiding eye contact with the mirror at all costs. She quickly found that not only was it a bodycon mermaid dress but it was a halter-top.

“Vicki! Come to button me up.” Victoria slipped in quickly with a bright smile on her face.

“Ooh, you look so hot!” She exclaimed as she buttoned up the halter-top and led Terra outside for Nicole to see. Nicole mouth promptly fell open as Victoria forced Terra to spin so they could get a better look.

“... Well?” Terra asked.

“Where have you been hiding this body?” Terra laughed as Victoria tried to pinch her bottom, as the dress made its plumpness much more apparent. “Seriously, though, do you like it?” Nicole asked. Terra sighed.

“It’s pretty but it’s uncomfortable. Look,” Terra said as she stopped holding her stomach in and her small muffin top became visible through the dress. Nicole clucked disappointedly and Victoria’s bright smile fell.

“Yeah, that's not the look,” Victoria assessed.

“That's the apple crunch muffin you had!” Nicole said between giggles.

“On to dress number two!” Victoria exclaimed, pushing Terra back into the dressing room. This time, Terra took a good minute before exiting the dressing room. Dress number two was a short green dress with beading and floral decorations that covered the entire bodice. The lower half of the back was missing which was obviously meant to draw attention to her backside and tantalize others by showing skin. Not only that but the skirt portion was so short her legs were freezing and the dress could easily double as a swimsuit. She didn't like it. And upon seeing her grimace when she exited the dressing room neither twin was willing to force her into keeping it on for much longer.

“Nicole’s looking for other dresses in case you don't like this one,” Victoria said from behind the door as Terra changed into the third dress.

Dress number three was notably different. It was a dark gray almost black sweetheart neckline dress with floral appliques for straps. The bodice was like the others but ended in the same spot as her rib cage so she didn't feel like she was being suffocated. A slit ran from the middle of her left thigh to the ground adding just enough allure.

Thank goodness it’s on the left, she thought. Nobody needs to see my weird birthmark.

Terra held her breath and turned to the dressing room mirror.

“Whoa,” she whispered and smirked before doing a small twirl, shamelessly checking herself out. She hadn't been lying earlier. Normally, dresses and shoes and makeup weren’t her things. She had nothing against it, in fact, she had helped Krista and Lena pick out numerous dresses for numerous occasions over the years and found it very enjoyable. It was fun to see her sisters transform and feel confident about how they looked. Unlike them, however, Terra usually got that confidence boost from writing an awesome essay or discovering a new and fairly unknown fact about arachnids, not dress up. In this instance, however, she couldn't ignore how amazing this particular dress made her feel. More so, she found she didn't want to ignore it.

“Come out,” said Victoria with a frenzied knock on the door. Terra chuckled and exited the dressing room with a sly smile on her face. The shocked look on her youngest sister's faces was enough to solidify her faith in the third dress.

“I think I like this one,” Terra said with a slow turn. The dress accentuated her curves but wasn't nearly tight enough that she couldn't breathe. She could easily imagine spending a night in it without feeling self-conscious.

“Hold still for a minute,” Victoria said as she whipped out her phone and took a quick picture. Terra blushed.

“What're you-?”

“And it’s on Instagram,” Vicky announced with a satisfied smirk as Nicole burst into chuckles. Terra groaned as Vicky's phone had a notification seizure. “Wow, 15 likes in 60 seconds,” she said. A tingling feeling ran up Terra's spine and she smirked as Vicky began to read the comments. “Kayla says you look bomb, Lena called you a star...I think. Estrella means star right?” Nicole nodded. “Ugh, Darius is being a creep as usual,” she said with a shudder.

“What did he say?”

“Something disgusting about trying hooking up with you on prom night.” Both Terra and Nicole gagged at the thought. “I honestly think he thought that would be a compliment to you,” Vicky added.

“He thinks his existence is a compliment to us,” said Nicole as she handed the other dresses off to a sales associate.

“And now I feel icky,” Terra said as she walked back into the dressing room. “I'm taking this off.”

“Yeah, we should get shoes next,” Nicole, added. “We only have a few hours left.”

“3-inch heels max!” Terra shouted from inside the dressing room.

“You'll be the shortest one at prom if you wear anything less than 6 inches!” Nicole exclaimed.

“And I’ll be the only one capable of dancing. 3 inches or less!”

“Fine,” Nicole huffed as she walked off in search of shoes. Victoria chuckled before her phone went off again.

“Aww, Krista says you look like a princess!” Terra's heart warmed at her sister's praise.

Finding matching shoes had been surprisingly easy. Nicole, the miracle worker that she was, had been able to find thick 2 ½ inch heels with an intricate decoration of fake diamonds. She had called them ‘Cinderella Slippers’ and practically begged Terra to buy them. The beginning hadn't been necessary. Terra was just a smitten with them. At home, Serena, their mother, also begged her to model the entire outfit as Krista and Victoria debated about how she should wear her hair. Krista was adamant that Terra should straighten her hair and have it frame her face in loose waves to compliment the princess aesthetic she envisioned. Victoria argued that leaving Terra's hair in its naturally curly state and pulling it up with a few small ringlets loose would be much more elegant. Krista argued it wouldn't be youthful enough; Victoria replied that Terra would stand out from the crowd. Finally, Lena suggested they mix the two styles. Which is how Terra found herself with her roller set hair pulled into an updo and tiny ringlets framing her face at her temples, below her ears and the nape of her neck, posing awkwardly with Krista and Lena, on the steps of their brownstone as their mother took pictures that would no doubt end up on facebook for their extended family to see. Lena giggled as Victoria reposed them again promising that it would be the last picture. Terra snorted but complied. Krista situated herself on her right and Lena on her left as the three interlocked arms and smirked at the camera.

“Oh my gosh!” Nicole squealed. “You look like the most badass- I mean,” she stuttered shooting a look at her mother to make sure she hadn't heard Nicole almost curse. She breathed a sigh of relief as her mother was still too preoccupied with taking pictures to notice one of her youngest's slip-ups. “I mean, uh, you like the most, um, fierce! Yeah, that's it, fierce princesses!” Krista's smirk grew wider and Terra blushed but couldn't find it in her to disagree. The grey dress and her curled hair did make her feel like royalty, even standing next to her sisters who were often regarded as ‘the pretty ones’ like all cheerleaders.

While she made no secret of the fact that her absolute favorite color was pink, in all forms, Krista had opted for a flaming red dress and loose beach waves in a half up half down style. The bodice swirled around her chest and midsection in a flaming design that drew attention towards her face with her plump red lips and her dark, brown eyes that popped amongst all the red. The applique corset formed dragons, serpents, and flames across her back and chest before continuing down with a layered, column skirt. Lena had chosen a more demure blue satin halter top A-line dress.

* * *

“Alright, that's it,” Lena announced as she made her way down the stairs. “That’s enough pictures.”

“But Belleza,” Serena whined, already prepared to bring out the puppy dog eyes that none of her daughters could resist.

“Mama, if we don’t finish up soon we’ll miss the actual prom,” she reasoned as she gave her a quick squeeze and grabbed her matching purse from the twins.

“You have walking slippers in there right?” Victoria asked.

“Yep!” Lena answered with a bright smile. “!Gracias queridas!” she said planting a quick peck on each twin, careful not to stain their cheeks with her lip gloss.

“Fine,” Serena pouted, “But I still need pictures of Drake and Krista,” she added, stealing a glance at her phone, “If he ever gets here that is.”

“He’s coming,” Krista said glancing at a text on her phone. “He said the train had a delay but he’s walking here now.” Sure enough, a frantic Drake turned the corner at that moment, running towards the six ladies. Terra giggled as Krista’s face lit up.

“I’m here! I’m here! I’m sorry, I’m late!” He yelled as he near them and his heavy breathing transitioned to light heavy heaving. “My dad didn't know I was going to Prom so he took the car for work and didn't tell me and the train was delayed so I got out and ran but-”

“It’s okay, Dray,” Krista interrupted with an affectionate smile. Nicole took it upon herself to run back inside the house for a moment to grab him some water. He gulped it down gratefully and careful not to get a drop on his suit.

“You look great, by the way,” Lena added with a slight leer. Serena chuckled and ushered the boy up the steps to take Terra's place beside Krista.

“I know, right,” Terra added, giving Drake a small punch on the shoulder before descending the stairs to observe with the rest.

“It was all Kris’ idea,” he said placing his hand on the small of her back and a light kiss on her forehead. They both blushed at the chorus of “awws” that erupted from her family. She did well, Terra thought to herself with a smirk.

Krista had dressed Drake in a black dress shirt, black coat vest, black dress coat, and black dress pants. The only elements of color were found in his blood red tie, blood-red handkerchief in his coat pocket and the blood-red flower pinned to his lapel. Most of his hair was slicked back into a low, tight ponytail and a nice chunk hung down in the front framing his face beautifully.

* * *

After a few choice prom pictures and a long drive to New Rochelle, Terra found herself at prom with the three, still smelling that odd, sweet smell. At times it reminded her of fresh cinnamon rolls. Then a moment would pass and she could swear it was pumpkin spice. It remained as she took memorable pictures with her sisters, friends and their boyfriends. It remained as her graduating class was served dinner and dessert. It remained as Michael, a boy that she’d harbored a major crush on during most of the sophomore year, asked her to dance. It remained as they moved against each other to a fast thumping beat and it remained as the music transitioned to a slow jam. It remained as they rocked together, their arms wrapped around the other.

It wasn't until she found a moment alone on the veranda overlooking the beachfront that she could pinpoint its source.

“Hi Terra,” he said. Terra turned to see Drake standing beside her. She smiled.

“Hey Dray,” she replied. She remembered how over the moon Krista had been when he’d transferred to their school earlier that same year. She had gushed for hours about his dark hair that fell in waves and framed his olive face, his amber eyes that sparkled, honest to God, sparkled when he laughed, his toned arms and the excessive amount of time he supposedly spent in the weight room and his gentlemanly nature. And after she had finally worked up the moxie to ask him to prom, the gushing had intensified because they spent almost every waking moment together. Apparently, he really loved to carry her books, open the door for her, had even offered her a foot massage once or twice. At the time, Terra had smiled and nodded when Krista asserted that Drake was the perfect man. Prolonged exposure to him in their house, however, had proved Terra wrong. He did open doors and carry books. Not just for Krista, but for everyone in Terra's house. He often offered to help her mother cook when she arrived home from work. Terra had lost count of the number of times the twins had returned home with a great grade on their geometry quizzes owing it all to Drake's advice. And better than that he often found ways to make all of them laugh. Terra couldn't have picked a better guy for Krista to obsess over. Especially if he carried this odd scent with him.

His positivity was infectious and the scent was already stronger. Not necessarily pumpkin spice or cinnamon rolls but something distinct and sweet enough for her mouth to water. If Drake noticed her pupils dilate at the delicious smell, he didn't say anything.

“I’m not bothering you am I?” he asked

“Nah, I just needed a minute to get away from all the grinding,” she joked. He chuckled.

“Yeah, that was a surprise for me. I’m just lucky Krista understood how uncomfortable I was and didn't force me.”

“Eh, she's not the type. They don't dance like that in…?”

“Athens? I’m sure they do but this is my first prom so I wouldn't know.”

“Hmm. So, got any college plans?”

“Not exactly. I applied and was accepted to a few CUNYs but to be honest, I’d rather go straight into the military.” At this, Terra had to do a double take.

“The military?” She asked.

“Yeah,” He replied with his sunny smile.

“You want to go into the military?”

“Is it hard to believe?” he asked with a smirk.

“A little,” Terra admitted with a shrug. His lithe frame wasn't suggestive of someone who would like to join the military. At least, to Terra it wasn't. Then again perhaps he alleged extra time spent in the weight room was in service of a higher purpose. Then again, was he speaking of the United States military or the Grecian military? Would it truly make any difference?

“What are your college plans?” He asked, interrupting her thoughts.

“Same. I’ve been accepted to most SUNYs and CUNYs in the area but I’m not even sure what I should major in.”

“Really?” he asked with a small frown marring his face. His eyebrows were furrowed in the most adorable way and she wanted to smooth them out. Terra bit the inside of the cheek in reprimand. What type of person thinks that way about her sister's boyfriend?

“Yeah, I applied as a biology major. I like entomology but I also like to write. Some CUNYs accepted me as a literary major, some as a biology major. But I can’t see doing any of those as a full career, you know?”

“Sadly, no,” he answered with a smile and shrug. She appreciated his honesty.

“Why do you want to go into the military?” She asked. His posture stiffened and his smile dropped again. “You don’t have to tell me,” she added hurriedly.

“It’s stupid,” he muttered.

“We can talk about anything else...”

“No, I don’t mind telling you...it’s just a stupid reason.”

“There are no stupid reasons for something like this. If military service is what you're passionate about, you should do it.”

“Where I’m from...it’s not something that people like me do.”

“Is it like a racism thing or…?”

“Close enough. I would have to explain our entire background. I’m sure you don’t want a history lesson during prom.”

“Well, you're right about that. I’m going to guess that you want to go into the military to make a point?” He nodded, sheepishly. “That’s not stupid. That’s brave and in 50 years some little kid is going to look up to you for doing it.”

“Hmm, perhaps you should take an interest in politics.” Terra groaned.

“Why on earth would I do that?”

“You speak with authority. I think you might be good at it,” he said with a smirk.

“Drake!” Krista called.

“See ya, Princess,” Terra smirked as Drake ran back to his girlfriend's side.

* * *

 

Terra had hoped against hope that Krista would break up with Drake after Prom. After all, there was a precedent for it. Krista was notoriously fickle in regards to boys. So much so that bets were often placed on how long each relationship would last. Terras hopes were dashed when Krista announced after graduation that she would be hanging out with Drake instead of her family for the rest of the afternoon. The rest of afternoon was quickly becoming the rest of the summer because, after that, Terra found Drake had inserted himself as a permanent fixture in their house. So much so that she could always tell where he had been based on scent alone. It was at this point that she began questioning her health.

“You want to what?” Her mother asked. Her glasses had fallen almost completely off of her thin face but she didn’t adjust them. She just stared at Terra from across the dinner table like she had grown a third head. Terra sighed and reiterated her request.

“I want to go to a nose doctor.”

“An ENT physician?” Serena corrected, finally repositioned her glasses.

“Yeah, that,” Terra said.

“Because your sense of smell is too good?” her mother asked, the beginnings of a telltale smirk creeping onto her face.

“Look, I know it sounds like nothing but I am smelling cinnamon and pumpkin spice all the time and it's freaking me out okay? It's strong and it’s kind of irritating. I just want to make sure I'm not a freak of nature.”

“Cinnamon rolls and pumpkin spice?”

“Yes...Stop looking at me like I’m nuts.”

“It’s just Drake.” She said, going back to her paperwork.

“What?”

“Krista smells it too. Apparently, he bakes with his dad on the weekends and they get messy in the process,” she explained.

“They bake on the weekends and we can smell it on them all the time?” Terra asked, incredulously.

“Well, I can't. Apparently, you guys can. Must be a sign that I’m getting old huh?”

“You're not old, mom.”

* * *

 Terra could only guess that at some point their mother had mentioned their chat to Krista who had in turn mentioned it to Drake because the following Monday evening, not only did she enter their living room to find Drake on their couch sandwiched between Krista and Lena, which was a common occurrence, but all three of them were munching on what she could only assume were homemade pumpkin muffins.

“Hi Terra,” Drake greeted with a warm smile. Terra smirked and replied in kind as Krista got up, grabbed an untouched muffin from the tray and shoved it into Terra's hand. She spoke between bites.

“You have to try these!”

“Drake made them,” Lena added from her spot on the couch. Krista nodded.

“And, you’ll never believe it; they're 100% vegan!”

“Most of my family members are vegan. I had to learn a few cooking tricks,” said Drake as he stood and made his way to the kitchen. Terra nodded, took a nibble and instantly moaned. Krista smirked.

“Yeah, he has that effect on most people,” she quipped as Lena tossed a pillow on her. Terra chuckled and bumped Krista lightheartedly before following Drake into the kitchen.

He was making a cup of green tea but staring at the steaming cup as if it had personally offended him.

“Drake,” Terra prodded.

“You’re sisters,” he said still staring at the cup. Oh no, Terra thought, here we go again.

“...Yeah.”

“Was your father white?”

“I have no idea,” she answered as she brushed by him and opened the refrigerator in search of apple cider.

“But you look nothing alike,” he said, finally tearing his eyes from the cup and looking at her with immense confusion in his eyes. She shrugged.

“Of course not. We’re not actually related,” she snipped. He recoiled.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I’m upsetting you. I really don't mean to. I’m just trying to understand.”

“Trying to understand? You've never seen adoption before?” It was almost comical, how quickly realization dawned on Drake's face. Quickly followed by intense embarrassment. So much so, that Terra couldn't even find it in herself to stay irritated with his ignorance.

“I’m sorry...I actually haven’t”.

“Don’t worry about it.” She muttered. That pitiful expression remained on his face. “Seriously, don’t. And I’m sorry I bit your head off. It's...a touchy subject.”

“Will you be angry with me if I ask why?”

“Kids are cruel,” she answered with a resigned shrug. “It’s something that everyone outside of our family finds hilarious. My mother has been accused of being a welfare queen who just keeps adopting kids for government benefits on multiple occasions. We can't just live like other sisters do and sometimes it’s really annoying to be reminded of that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t say it to be mean. Speaking of, do they just not have adoption in Greece?”

“Of course they do. I’ve just never come in contact with a family as...diverse as yours,” he stated before taking a sip of his tea. Terra shrugged, took another bite of the muffin and hummed.

“These are awesome,” she said, hoping to ease the tension in the room.

“Thanks!”

“But this isn’t it,” she added as she inspected the muffin. The scent was so close and she couldn’t place it. There was a heat in the air.

“What?” he asked. She took a deep breath as warmth began to spread from her abdomen.

“You smell like cinnamon rolls and pumpkin spice all the time,” she replied. The scent was so sweet. Her mouth watered at the prospect of what it might taste like. The lovely muffin she held in her hand was just a cheap imitation. Somehow she found herself hating it. Whatever the scent came from, she would have it no matter what. His eyes snapped to hers and she saw the light flicker in his eyes.

“My dad and I bake all the time,” he muttered. She could easily hear the lie in his voice and it angered so much. How dare he stand there, smelling so sweet and making her feel so warm, and lie to her!

“But these don’t smell like you,” Terra said. She absentmindedly took a small step forward. Drake gulped and his eyes flickered again. “You're hiding something from me.” She could almost see a shiver run up his spine. The blush that painted his cheeks was beautiful and she felt a weird sense of pride at the fact that she was the cause of it. Pride and anger.

“Please don’t,” he begged as she took another step forward, right into his personal space. The scent was all-encompassing now; she could almost see it emanating from him. What would it be like to have him? If such a sweet scent was coming from him and making her feel this way, what would it be like to have him? Furthermore, why was he resisting her? Was she not good enough to have something so mouthwatering?

“Don’t what?” she asked. He stared dutifully at his shoes and it infuriated her. “Look at me.” His eyes snapped up to hers and made contact. There was that shiver again and the scent was stronger than it had ever been before. Her hand found its way to his cheek. He leaned into her touch and the scent only intensified. It was definitely coming from him and the warm feeling it elicited all over her body was definitely a direct result. But why?

“I’m not supposed to tell you yet!” he whispered. “We’re both very vulnerable right now!” he muttered, breaking eye contact again.

“What?”

“Babe, if you don't come back soon you're going to miss the best part of the movie!” Krista called. Terra immediately dropped her hand and Drake took a step back from her. Drake, mustering all of his strength, pushed passed her to get back to his girlfriend. Terra growled and grabbed his wrist.

“Drake, I need you to tell me what's going on, now,” she exclaimed. Her breathing was harsh and she felt like she had just run a marathon. Not to mention the fact that she had just made a pass on her sister's boyfriend. What had happened to her self-control and why did she find him so irresistibly attractive all of the sudden? Of course, he was conventionally attractive with his dark, russet skin and shoulder length brown hair and golden eyes but she had never ever considered doing anything about it. Yet in the span of 60 seconds, she had harassed him.

“I can't now...I,” He stammered. She locked eyes with his.

“Please, Dray. I’m freaking out and I have no idea why I just did what I did and why I feel how I feel,” she pleaded.

“Drink lots of water, take a nap. Tomorrow, I promise, tomorrow,” he stuttered. Terra nodded and let him go. He high tailed it to the living room. She stood in the kitchen for a few seconds before grabbing a large mug, filling it with water and retreating to her bedroom for the night.

* * *

 

She awoke the next day to a blistering headache and a high fever. Krista brought her lemon tea with ginger and Lena brought her Tylenol.

“Only you would get the flu during summer,” Krista joked, trying to lighten the mood.

“S’not the flu,” Terra mumbled, as the Tylenol slowly began to take effect.

“Did you sneak some of mom's wine last night? Are you just hungover?” Lena joked. Terra responded by hitting her with a pillow. “Okay, probably not.”

“Just sick from...something,” she mumbled.

“Well, you'll have all day to rest and get better. The twins are figure skating till 8, mom’s at work till 7 and we’re hanging out at the mall before we pick them up.”

“Hanging at the mall?” Terra asked. Lena nodded. “With Drake and Adrian?”

“Nah, Dray has to help his dad with something this week. Won't see him until next week,” Krista said.

“But Adri will be there. I’ll tell him you said ‘Hi’”

“Tell him I said ‘get a job’. ‘Hot Topic’ is hiring,” Terra muttered. “Law school doesn't pay for itself.”

“Trust me, he knows,” Lena quipped. Two pecks on the cheek later and Terra had the house to herself. Ten minutes and a shower later she was slipping out the door and on her way to his house.

It wasn't hard to find; she still had his address from a text Krista had sent just before prom. A 13-minute train ride downtown found her in front of a fairly prestigious looking apartment building. She didn't even need to buzz in as the doorman recognized her as the sister of Drake's girlfriend. A quick story of how Drake and his father were waiting for her gained her easy access. As she walked up the stairwell the smell returned and just like before it sent tingles up her spine and ignited a now familiar warmth in her body. Surprisingly, her headache also lessened. Once she reached the door she prepared to knock before she noticed the door was already open. Did he know she was coming? Either way, his scent was calling to her. She let herself in.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As of June 5, 2018, this Chapter has been updated.

She wasn't prepared. It was as if a thick fog or a haze had descended upon her senses, removing every critical thought she had.

Why was the door open? Why was the scent affecting her so strongly? As she walked through the apartment it appeared that no one was home. Did Drake lie to Krista? Why would he?

These important questions couldn't find a home in her brain because it was occupied by one directive.

Find him.

She took a deep breath and observed the layout of the house. One immaculate kitchen, a homey living room, one small bathroom and near the end of her journey she found a large bedroom that she could only assume belonged to Drake's father because his particularly sweet scent was conspicuously absent from it. Next to that bedroom, however, was another door. A soft breathy moan came from behind the closed door. The haze descended full force.

Find him!

She didn't hesitate. The door was thrown open before she could even consider knocking.

She wasn’t prepared. She wasn't prepared to see him, shirtless, lying on his stomach, tangled in burgundy sheets, sweating profusely with dilated pupils. She wasn't prepared for the way he looked at her; both shocked, scared and relieved. She wasn't prepared for the way it made her feel and the things it made her want to do. She wasn't prepared.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked. She took a step forward despite herself.

“You shouldn't be here,” he whined, his fingers twitching. Despite his words, he arched up and slowly crawled to the foot of the bed as she took another unconscious step toward him. “You shouldn't be around me like this because...” he trailed off as he looked into her emerald eyes. Oh, how she found she loved that look in his amber eyes. He looked so helpless and there was instinctual urge to do...something. She still had no idea what was happening but it kind of felt good.

“Because? What will happen if I stay?” she purred. She had reached the foot of his bed and all that remained between them was a short iron gate. She gripped it with her left hand and caressed his cheek with the other. And oh, how she loved the way he leaned into her touch and blushed prettily.

“We’ll do something, that we shouldn't do. I can't do that to you. You don't want me,” he mumbled lowering his head and breaking eye contact. She growled at this.

“Look at me.” His head snapped back immediately. “What do you want, Dray?”

“I want…” he gulped and blushed again. “I’d love for you to have me.”

“I’d love to have you,” she replied with a smile. As she leaned in to kiss him one niggling doubt in the back of her head managed to break through the haze. “Drake, what’s happening to us?”

“You wouldn't believe me if I told you.” It didn’t stop their lips from meeting and the way it intensified everything she had already been feeling. Whatever it was was more intense now. She began to panic because, despite her reassurance that this was something they both wanted, she still didn't know what she was doing.

She didn't have to worry about it for too long though as she felt ripped from Drake's embrace and slammed against the wall. She screamed as her head throbbed in agony and extreme darkness began clouding her vision no matter how many times she blinked. Someone was yelling in desperation, someone else was yelling in anger and she really couldn't understand anything else that was going on. And as the dark spots enveloped her sight, it was then that she truly felt the shame of what she had just done.

She came to with a jolt and for a moment she legitimately wondered if it had been a nightmare. For one she was definitely back in her own room and it did seem as though she had slept the entire day away. A pounding headache was back and it was really hard to recount the experience itself. For a good 2 minutes, she was able to convince her herself it was a dream and that she would never betray her sister's trust in such a horrible way. That was until she picked up her phone to check the time, 3:03 AM, and saw a text from Drakes number. The second she opened it her heart plummeted.

It hadn't been a dream. She had violated her sisters’ trust and kissed her boyfriend. At this point, she couldn't even remember if he had consented or not. Had she harassed him, pushed him? She groaned and shoved her face into the pillow hoping the darkness would turn this into just a bad dream.

But she remained awake, watched the sunrise, got ready for the day and plastered on a fake smile to remain inconspicuous. That's when it hit her that she could not wake up from this.

Krista received the text that ended it all that Sunday during grocery shopping. Vicky and Nicky were searching for pasta and pasta sauce while Terra, Krista, and Lena took care of produce. Krista was specifically looking for zucchini squash because it was Drake’s favorite when his specific message notification tone went off. She pulled it out quickly but froze after reading it.

“Drake just broke up with me,” she said staring at the text in shock. Terra stiffened and Lena jumped to Krista’s side to get a look at the text for herself.

“What?” she screeched. Krista sighed in resignation.

“He put it off because he was afraid of disappointing me that he just wants to be friends,” she said. Krista took a deep breath and pocketed her phone once again. “Fine. At least he was honest.” This made Terra's blood boil.

“At least he was honest? At least he was-Why the hell aren't you angry?”

“I am angry,” She answered, with a cold glare. Terra bit her tongue and grabbed a produce bag. As she made her way down the aisle, pretending to look for tomatoes, she couldn't help but worry. She couldn't possibly know, could she? With Krista's back turned, Terra pulled out her phone and hastily texted Drake.

They walked together in Central Park, uncomfortable silence suffocating both of them. He’d asked her to meet him here after dark and it had taken all of her charm and cajoling to make her mother comfortable with that fact.

“I didn't really know I was her boyfriend,” he finally mumbled staring at his feet. Terra stopped.

“Really?” she drawled with a heated glare. She didn't believe him for a second.

“I’m serious!” he asserted, glaring right back. “I’ve never done… this,” he said gesticulating between the two of them, “before.”

“Explain,” Terra gritted out. He stopped short and whimpered. “There is no way on earth that you couldn't know. Cultural differences aside, you were always together and she kissed you all the time! There's no way you couldn't have known.” He sighed and rubbed his temple.

“Where I’m from that’s not how it’s done,” he muttered. Terra growled. He was still evading the question.

“Drake.”

“I thought she was protecting me,” he mumbled.

“Explain!” she growled, low in her throat. She could both see and feel him stiffen. His fingers were twitching again and she felt the heat radiating off him. He nodded in surrender.

“I’m a-” he stopped and looked past her. A growl erupted from his throat. Terra turned to see an older man right beside them. He must have been at least six feet tall. His sandy blonde hair fell to his face almost obscuring his ice blue eyes. His scent was dangerous. “What are you doing here?” Drake growled. The strange man smiled.

“Is that any way to speak to an alpha?” He hissed, that smile of his growing ever wider. Terra clenched her fists.

I want to punch him...don’t punch him!

She heard Drake snarl and recoiled as he forced himself between her and the dangerous man.

“Go away, Nethuns,” he spat in disgust. Even though the stranger towered over Drake, she could hear the fire in his voice. Her fingers twitched at the urge to punch the elder man. Although Drake stood between them and was clearly able to stand his ground, she felt the imminence of danger. The blonde chuckled in Drake's face.

Don’t punch him, don’t punch him…

“And what are you going to do if I refuse, pretty omega?” Said the blond as he lifted a hand to caress Drakes' cheek. “Are you going to fight me?” he mocked. Drake huffed.

“Terra,” he whispered. “Run.”

“And leave you with him?” She spat. Nethuns eyes shifted to her and a crooked grin spread across his face.

“How nice to meet you, your highness,” he sneered.

“Terra, please, run,” Drake begged. Nethuns chuckled and made to grab Drake's arm. Terra gasped as Drake opened his mouth to let forth a burst of flames in the Nethuns face. The impact pushed both of them back and Terra stumbled to the ground in shock. She felt more than heard Nethuns shriek of pain. “Terra!” Drake barked. Terra looked up into his face and gasped. His eyes had shifted from the normal circular shape to reptilian slits. They remained an amber gold but a new intensity shown in them. She nodded slowly, struggled to her feet and ran in the other direction without another word. She could hear them trading blows behind her. She could hear Nethuns scream every time Drake, supposedly, hit him with another burst of flames. She gritted her teeth every time Drake would let out a scream of his own. She stumbled every time, contemplating turning back and protecting him.

Drake let out a particularly heartbreaking shriek of pain and Terra stumbled to the ground. No sooner had she turned around, to defy his requests for help, she shrieked as she was grabbed and propelled into the air, losing consciousness on the way up.


	3. Chapter 3

Terra woke with a start, banging her head in the process.

“Ow!” she yelped. She heard a soft chuckle come from her side.

“And they say Alphas are coordinated.” Terra winced and turned to see Drake in a chair beside the bed she had found him in before. “Good morning,” he purred, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Why am I in your bed?” she asked as she rubbed her head. His smirk fell.

“Because I took you home. A man attacked us, don’t you remember?”

“I remember being attacked but I doubt that was just a man.”

“You may be right,” he mumbled. “You hungry?”

“Starving.”

“I'll make breakfast” He stood without another word and hightailed his way out of the room. Terra sat in a silence for a minute before shrugging and making her way into the adjoining bathroom to get ready for the day.

After freshening up she shut the door behind her and made her way down. She paused at the foot of the stairs. An older man, whose brown hair was clearly receding, stood there with a benign smile on his face.

“Good morning, Terra,” he greeted with a warm smile. “I trust you slept well.” Terra forced out a grin and offered her hand.

“As well as I could, thanks,” she answered brusquely, as he accepted her handshake.

“I am Marcus, Drake's father.” Terra frowned. This man was so clearly white and Drake was so clearly not. He said he had never seen adoption before and yet…

Terra followed Marcus towards the enticing scent of food. He pulled out a chair, which she gratefully accepted. She looked up to see Drake handing her a plate of assorted fruits and a small steaming cup of tea brewed from loose leaves. And he appeared to be avoiding eye contact with both of them. “Dig in,” Marcus prompted. Terra smiled and began nibbling on the plump green grapes before her. “I apologize for any injuries you may have endured from last night's...encounter,” Marcus explained, sipping his tea. Terra's eyes shifted as Drake sunk farther into his own chair, reminding her a little too much of a terrified tortoise.

“It’s fine, sir.”

“If I had known-”

“Drake, what happened last night?” Terra asked. Drake's eyes widened anxiously and he glanced at his father for help. Marcus’ face was locked in a  state of shock. Terra sighed. “We were attacked last night and that guy said some really weird things. You guys are ignoring it as if I’ll forget it. What happened?” She growled.

“F-father?” Drake whispered as he continued to retreat into his seat. Marcus smirked.

“Ah ah ah son. She didn't ask me, she asked you,” he replied, taking a satisfied sip of his tea.

“Drake,” she prompted. His eyes darted between them swiftly before he sighed and turned to her.

“You'll laugh at me.”

“I swear that I won't,” she placated. “If you're completely honest with me that is.” Marcus placed a comforting hand on Drake's shoulder.

“Go on, son.” Drake gulped.

“I’m a - We’re Dragons,” he said adding a small wince at the end as if he expected her to lash out. She blinked once or twice before cocking her head and biting her lip.

“Why did you think I would laugh?” She asked slowly. In truth, the laugh was resting on the tip of her tongue but his pleading eyes kept it at bay. He looked truly frightened as if her laughing at him was the worst possible thing that could ever happen. Far be it from her to crush his self-esteem. He turned back to his father with pleading eyes. Marcus sighed and explained.

“We were told that most humans couldn’t comprehend such information. “ Drake sighed and stood. Terra's eyes followed as he retreated to the kitchen. “We were worried that dropping the news on you like this would cause you to go into denial; either laughing or shutting us out. We couldn’t risk either result. We thought we needed to ease you into it. ”  Marcus sat back and watched as she took in the information.

_I don’t feel any different. It’s not like I’ve ever spoken to snakes or anything. Isn’t this something I would have noticed growing up? Would mom have noticed if I was different? Wouldn’t Krista or Lena?_

Both Terra and Marcus sat in silence as a whirlwind of thoughts and questions plagued her mind. Drake returned shortly, wiping his hands on a towel as if he had just washed dishes, and sat, looking much more comfortable than when he had left. Terra leaned forward.

“Did you breathe fire last night?”

“Yes,” he said with a small blush creeping up his cheeks. She smirked.

“Show me.” Both he and Marcus chuckled. Drake slowly closed his eyes before he revealed the reptilian slit pupils she had seen the night before. He lifted his right hand and snapped his fingers. Instantly, his thumb glowed a warm ember before emitting an orange flame like a small controlled blowtorch. Terra's eyes widened like saucepans.

_Well, fuck, this is real._

“Yes, my Draco is very special,” Marcus added with a fond smirk. “An Omega of many talents.”

“Draco huh?” She asked with a scoff.

“I didn’t choose it,” he said with a shrug. “You’re taking this suspiciously well.”

“You just created fire in front of me and your eyes are definitely not human. What am I supposed to say?” Drake nodded before extinguishing his own torch and shifting back to human eyes. He began to dig into his breakfast as Terra watched him, deep in her own thoughts.  She turned to Marcus.

“You too?” She asked.

“But of course,” he answered, casually sipping his tea.

“What makes you so sure that I’m one too?” She countered.

“We’re not permitted to-” Draco protested.

“Just say what you can,” she interrupted.

“We were sent for you, Terra. By your parents,” Marcus answered. Terra squinted her eyes. He was the picture of tranquility compared to the anxiety that was radiating off of Draco in waves so thick she could almost smell it. “I was there when you were born,” Marcus continued. “I saw you hatch. It seems like it was just yesterday. I would know you anywhere,” he said fondly.

“And I'm supposed to just believe you?” She challenged. Marcus’ arched an eyebrow, clearly accepting the challenge.

“I had hoped you would but perhaps I should just be grateful that you believe we are Dragons,” he said taking another sip of his tea. Terra's stomach lurched and she groaned. Both Marcus and Draco stiffened.

“I want to go home,” she groaned as her stomach continued to lurch.

“I think that would be best but,” Marcus started. “Terra,” he said leaning forward and looking into her eyes. “Should anything alarming start happening to you please contact us.” She sighed and nodded.

* * *

 

“What was that about?” Terra asked. Draco sighed as he shut the door to the building behind Terra and the two made their way down the stairs.

He opened the passenger side car door for her to get in. She grits her teeth in pain but entered and shut the car quickly before reclining and rolling down the window. He revved up and she began to watch the neighborhood pass by in a blur. The cool breeze gradually began to loosen her tight stomach.

* * *

 

“What the hell Terra!” Krista screamed. “We haven’t even been broken up for a week. You’re moving in on him already?” Terra winced. Krista had been the one to open the door. In retrospect, Terra probably should have sent Drake away before entering. One look from Krista was all Terra needed to know how suspicious the situation appeared.  Both sisters trailed behind her as Terra tried to find Serena, hoping to apologize before being chastised.

“For the last time, nothing happened.”

“You didn't come home last night and you didn't call this morning and then you just jumped out of his car! You expect me to believe nothing happened?” Terra turned and locked eyes with Krista.

“Yes,” she stated with an air of finality. Krista averted her eyes and whined low in her throat.

“She's never lied to you before,” Lena added from the side.

“...Fine...so what were you doing? Mom was really upset.”

“I know. That why I’m going to apologize...and why I’m probably never going to be let out of the house again.”

“Girls!” The three shuddered. That was not the tone of voice one wanted to hear from a parent for any reason.

“I think she’s in the living room,” said Lena. Both she and the blond turned and made their way upstairs to their room. Terra gulped before making her way to the living room and gingerly sitting across from Serena on the couch. Her mother's stare did not flinch from the TV. The intense silence dragged on just long enough that Terra began to wonder if her mother was actually lucid.

“Mom?” She whispered. “Mommy?”

“Where were you?” Serena asked tersely. Her eyes never left the television.

“Drake and I ran into some...trouble in the park-”

“Trouble?” Terra winced.

“Some creepy dude wouldn't leave us alone. Drake fought the guy but I fell and hit my head so he had to take me to his dad's house,” she explained.

“His dad's house? Why didn't he come to our house?”

“I think he panicked.” Terra disclosed. Serena was clearly unimpressed. “If it had been me, I would've run to you to instead of taking him home,” She quickly added.

“I’ll need to have a talk with his father.” Terra nodded in resignation.

“I'm sorry I didn't call this morning. I was freaking out but I should have at least texted.”

“Yes, you should have.”

“I'm sorry,” she said, bowing her head and gritting her teeth. She could only imagine how stressed her mother had been the night before. She hadn’t even checked her phone since waking. How many missed calls and texts were there? How much had she scared everyone? “I'm guessing that means I can't leave the house for the rest of the month?”

“That’s a very good guess,” Serena said, the beginning of a smirk forming on her face. She turned to Terra who then smiled in relief. There was no frustration or anger left in her mother's eyes. Just the stern affectionate stare that Terra knew to be love.

“Yes ma’am,” she said with a smile and sigh of relief. Terra was a bookworm; she could stand to stay inside and reading books for a few weeks. The more she thought about it, it was almost preferable.

“Come here” Serena commanded with outstretched arms. Terra raced into the hug and snuggled into her mother's warmth. “I love you.”

“I love you too, mommy.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I'm not dead!

_Staying home would be fine_ , she thought. _It’d be easy_ , she thought. Terra was beginning to think she didn't know her own body half as well as she thought she did and if what she had learned from Marcus and Draco was even a bit true, then perhaps she didn't.

“Are you still sick?” Lena asked from the bathroom doorway. Terra groaned from her spot hunched over the toilet seat. The smell of what she had been expelling for the past half hour only served to further nauseate her. She gagged and clumsily fumbled for the toilet handle to flush her vomit down.

“I didn’t think it was that bad,” Victoria said, Terras barely touched plate in her hands.

“It wasn't,” Terra croaked. “It was great, I just-” she was interrupted as her stomach painfully contracted again causing her to dry heave. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you see it) there was nothing left to expel.

In an effort to appease her youngest sisters, who had been given quite a fright the night Terra spent at Draco's house, Terra had decided to serve as a guinea pig for their ‘culinary masterpieces’. To all familiar with the dynamic duo, it was clear that fashion and beauty were their bread and butter but they also shared a love for experimental cooking and Terra knew that trying their newest recipes would be the quickest way to get back into their good graces. It had been easy the first day. Victoria had been obsessed with raw vegan delicacies and Nicole had been eager to try something new. The fresh feast had proved delicious and surprisingly healthy but tonight they were more interested in traditional soul food. Suffice to say, Terra’s body did not appreciate the change one bit. She had been thoroughly undone by collard greens. She groaned as Krista lifted her from behind by her underarms.

“I think it's safe to say that you are still sick,” she heaved as she and the other girls moved Terra to her bed.

“M’not sick,” Terra mumbled as she turned on her stomach, hoping to relieve some of the leftover tension.

“Maybe, maybe not but you definitely don't like soul food, or at least your body doesn’t,” Lena added with a maternal tsk. Terra whined and shoved her face in the pillow.

“Are we sure she’s the oldest?” Nicole quipped as she and the others made their way downstairs to clear the table. The sound of the gentle laughter remained and Terra found herself smiling. She pulled her head out of her pillow at the soft whistle of her phone. She pulled it out and blinked in surprise to see Draco texting her again.

* * *

Serena was no longer Drake's biggest fan and she certainly wasn't happy that Terra’s first decision after serving her punishment was to go see him again but Terra had pledged to be responsible and keep her mother in the loop. It helped that Drake had called Serena himself to explain his side of the story and how thoroughly he had been punished by his own Father, followed by Marcus himself apologizing. They decided to meet in the park again but bathed in summer daylight.

“It's the safest time to meet. Nethuns is less likely to strike out here,” said Drake as he handed her a homemade fresh coconut acai bowl.

“Too many witnesses?” she asked as she accepted it in surprise before taking a big bite and moaning in pleasure.

“Yep. Don’t know if you noticed but he’s a pretty sloppy fighter. I could fight him in the daylight if necessary and no one would be the wiser” he boasted with a cocky smirk as he tossed an acai berry in his mouth. Terra smiled and took a bite of the mango in her bowl.

“So what's this?” she asked holding up the coconut bowl and popping another acai berry in her mouth.

“An organic coconut acai bowl,” he answered with a preening smile. “We’re not human Terra, we’re Dragons. Our stomachs are much more sensitive than human ones. Most over processed food can't be digested so it has to be expelled.”

“You mean **your** stomachs?” She asserted as she took another bite.

“I mean yours as well,” he said with an exasperated huff. “You must believe us a bit! Otherwise, why did you come?”

“You said I should!”

“Since when do you listen to me?” He quipped with a smirk. She frowned and turned from him, grumbling to herself. “You could have gone to a human doctor.”

“Ugh,” she groaned. “I hate doctors,”

“They’re here to help you.”

“Mines not very good at it. Last time I went in with a bad cough, he took a few superficial tests and said I had a parasitic worm. Turns out it was just an extremely nasty cold.”

“Sounds like you need a different doctor,”

“Tell that to my mom’s healthcare. Even **if** they agree to pay for a different provider, the one we already have is within walking distance.

“Have you spoken to her superior?”

“Even if I make a complaint or report her for malpractice, it would take multiple complaints for something to be done. She has a great rep; I'm pretty sure she’d be let off scot-free.”

“This is something I didn't know about human healing.”

“It depends on where you live. American humans are the only ones who seem to have this problem.” Her stomach lurched at the thought and she groaned. “It was just collard greens,” she grumbled.

“Do you know if they were organic greens?”

“No, but I could eat it before.”

“You were deep in camouflage before.”

“Camouflage?”

“These bodies. Our camouflage goes a lot deeper than changing colors like a chameleons would,  but it can only hold for so long. If I had to guess, I’d say that your insides have returned to their natural state even if your outsides don't know how to yet.”

“There’s no way this is real,” she grumbled before popping the last piece of fruit into her mouth and drinking the coconut milk left in the bowl. Draco sighed sadly.

“I wish I could say you're right but…” She turned back to him with an ugly grimace on her face.

“Wouldn't I know if I were a Dragon? Wouldn’t there be signs?” She huffed.

“Under normal circumstances, yes, but these are not normal circumstances,” he answered as he finished his own acai bowl. “And these **are** the signs.”

“I still don't believe any of this...” she mumbled, trailing off at the end.

“But?” He prodded.

“But I **do** wanna know what happened the day I came to your house.”

“It’s complicated.”

“I’m not a Dragon, Draco. I can’t breathe fire like you do; I’m normal-” she started.

“Are you telling me or trying to convince yourself?” He interrupted.

“But,” she continued as if he had not spoken, “everytime I’m around you weird things happen to me. At the very least, I think I deserve to know what happened the day I came to your house” She finished. He grumbled unhappily to himself.

“...I was in heat”

“Oh,” she said with a flush, “Is that a, um, reproductive type of heat? Like cats have?”

“You’ve done your homework.”

“Shut up, I’m a biology major. So that **is** what it’s for then? Reproduction?”

“Yes. That’s why I told you I would see you the week after. I knew I would be...busy.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. That must have been really awkward to explain to your dad”

“Actually,” he started with a sigh, “we’re lucky father was there to ensure nothing happened. My apologies for, um, letting him slam you to a wall,” he added with a wince.

“It’s in the past and I’m not hurt. That doesn't explain why it affected me like that.”

“I’m sure you know why. You’re a biology major,” He said with a sly smile.

“I’m not a Dragon.”

“We’ll see.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first three chapters have had important updates added to them. Reading the next few chapters without rereading the beginning of the story again might confuse you. Also, this is the point at which...genitals get mentioned. Not USED! But mentioned. You’ve been warned!
> 
> Also yay - A long chapter again!

The sound of excited screaming was definitely not how Terra wanted to wake up the next day.  She groaned and pulled a pillow over her head to block the sunlight disturbing her sleep.

“Mom! Mom, wake up!” Krista shrieked. Terra could hear Krista's excited footsteps bounding towards their mother's room. She peeked out from her pillow and glanced at the other side of the room. Lena was definitely up, probably downstairs with Krista celebrating whatever good thing must've happened. The twins looked to be even more knocked out then Terra at the moment. She chuckled weakly to herself. _Wait till Nicole finds out that she snores._

“Mom, wake up! Why is everyone still sleeping? Wake up!” Krista yelled. Terra groaned and pushed herself out of the bed. She grabbed her phone on her night side table to check the time. _Who gets up at 8:00 am when school's out!_ She thought, groaning and stretching, coming to the realization that getting up so suddenly had kicked her bladder into overdrive and that she really needed the bathroom. With her eyes barely open, she shuffled there quickly, shut the door and placed her phone on the counter before pulling her pajama pants down.

Normally this would be the moment where she sat down and relaxed her muscles but Terra’s entire body stiffened and her breath stopped. What she’d felt while pulling her pants down wasn't supposed to be there, it had never been there before and for a moment she seriously considered that she might be having a lucid night terror. Slowly, ever so slowly, Terra opened her eyes and looked down at the front of her body. She shrieked at what she saw staring back at her; flushed, purple and very, very phallic. Her fingers twitched as the erect lump of flesh just stared right back up her as if she knew what to do with it. She forced her eyes shut and forced herself to take a deep breath.

“No, no this isn't happening. I’m dreaming, I know it,” she said as she held her face in her hands. She opened her eyes and looked down. It was still there, attached to her traitorous body just above her normal parts. She growled in frustration and began lightly slapping her face. “Wake up! Wake up!”  She jumped as someone pounded the door.

“Terra, you in there?” Lenna asked, excitement coloring her voice.

“Yeah,” Terra answered shakily.

“Come down! Krista got a letter from Cornell; she’s gonna read it to us!” Terra managed a weak smile but quickly began panicking again. _How do I make it go away? If I go down they’ll see it through my clothes!_ Terra gulped and grabbed her phone.

“G-give me a minute to shower first!” She said while frantically dialing Draco’s number.

“Kay but hurry up!” Lena, finally leaving her alone. Terra’s breathing evened out as the phone finished dialing and Draco's overly chipper voice greeted her ear.

“Good Morning Terra! I didn't think you'd be up this early-”

“I have a dick,” she interrupted. The line was silent but for Terras labored breathing.

“Oh, shit,” he sighed.

“Why do I have a dick? What did you do?!” She seethed into the phone.

“Terra, how could I have done this?”

“Your freaky Dragon magic,” she accused as her fingers shook.

“Freaky Dragon magic doesn’t work that way,” he deadpanned. Terra growled in frustration.

“Ergh! Whatever, just how do I make it go away?” She pleaded.

“What do you mean go away? What’s it doing?”

“It’s standing up and staring at me,” she whispered chancing a glance at the ugly organ.

“Well, you need to...uh...You’re a biology major;  do I really have to say it?” He stuttered. Terra growled. “It’s...uhh...this is...um...I believe the human term is ‘morning wood’ so you're going to have to, y’know, rub it,” He said whispering at the end.

“No, no! I’m not touching it; it's not mine!” She shrieked, gripping the phone almost hard enough to crack it.

“Your only other option is to take a cold shower,” He added hastily.

“That’s it?” She seethed.

“Either that,” he added slowly and choosing his words very carefully, “or maybe will it down with disgusting thoughts.”

“This can't be happening,” Terra screeched in frustration gripping the phone before she yelped in pain and dropped it.

“Terra?” He probed. “Are you still there?” Terra blinked at the phone on her bathroom phone with a cracked screen and the tiniest droplet of blood. She looked at her right hand somberly and, sure enough, there was a tiny droplet of blood on her thumb. She sighed and wiped it away on her pajama pants before pulling them back up. She picked up her phone gingerly.

“What?” She asked, her voice completely deadpan.

“I’m probably the last person on earth that you want to see right now but, well, obviously this is something that is much easier to explain in person than over the phone so would you mind coming over?” He asked timidly. “ Y’know, when you’ve...finished.”

“You'll explain why this is happening?” She asked, her voice devoid of all life.

“To the best of my ability, yes. I promise,” He said.

“Okay. I’ll see you in an hour” she said before glancing back down at the tent in her pants, “or two.”

“Okay. Bye” he said. Terra slowly put the phone on the counter, cracked screen up, and watched as Drake stayed on the line for another 3 seconds, most likely waiting for a ‘Bye’ in return, before hanging up. She sighed before looking in the mirror and flinching at her bloodshot eyes. When had she cried? She looked closer and quietly gasped at the tear trail that she hadn't even noticed emitting in her frustration. She sniffed and wiped the offending liquid off of her dark cheeks before slowly putting her right hand into her pants and grasping...herself.

“Let’s get this over with,” she hissed.

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, she raced down the stairs while still applying lotion on the exposed parts of her body. She had found the loosest harem-like pants she could and to make sure no one could see the new additions she’d tied an extra jacket around her waist. She glanced at the dinner table where her Krista sat at the head and her mother and sisters sat huddled close to hear what she had to say.

“Finally! Alright so ‘Dear Ms. Greene-’”

“See you later!” Terra yelled as she walked right past and grabbed her book bag from the ground and keys from the key rack by the door.

“You're leaving now?”

“I gotta go to Drakes. I...uh...left something at his place. Bye!” She said before slamming the door shut. She bit the inside of her cheek as she made her way downstairs, out of the building and into the fresh air. Unbeknownst to her, Krista had thrown her papers down on the table and retreated to her bedroom to deal with her own frustrations.

* * *

 

She knocked three times on the plain door before second-guessing herself and pulling out her phone to text Drake to let him know she'd arrived. The door swung open to reveal a fairly tussled Marcus. She sucked in a breath quickly to avoid grimacing. The bags beneath his eyes had sagged considerably as if he hadn't had a wink of sleep since she'd seen him last. His ‘warm’ smile was clearly forced.

“Hello Terra,” He said cordially before passing her on his way out the door.

“Hi,” she said hesitantly before Drake came around the door and greeted her himself. She gasped silently to herself. He looked even worse. His shoulders sagged, his eyes were both red-rimmed and dark and his smile was noticeably pained.

“Hi Terra,” he said. His voice was so sore. _It wasn't like that earlier on the phone_ , she thought to herself.

“I’ll be back in an hour,” Marcus said over his shoulder before leaving.

“You're not staying?” She asked.

“It's my turn to patrol. Can't have Nethuns finding either of you again. Besides I’ve been meaning to have a personal chat with him about attacking my little Astra.”

“Daaad!” Drake whined. Terra nodded at Marcus before stepping inside and closing the door.

She fixed her eyes on him and immediately asked, “Why?” Drake sighed in resignation.

“Do you wanna sit down? Maybe have some tea?” He asked hopefully. Her hard stare was immovable but,

“Sure,” she said following him into the sitting room and taking a seat on the sofa. She watched him retreat into the kitchen and return with an antique style piping hot kettle that had a lovely smell emanating from it.

“Mint & Chamomile,” He said as he set the kettle down and poured her tea with a teaspoon of honey. “It's very relaxing.” He handed her the small teacup and began pouring his own with shaky hands. Terra took a small sip and relished the warmth from the liquid spreading across her body. Okay, maybe he had a point about the tea...

“You know what would relax me even more?” She asked sardonically.

“What?” He said as he took a sip from his own cup. Terra grimaced. Either he hadn't noticed her sarcasm or had chosen to ignore it.

“Why?” She asked, through clenched teeth.

“Straight to business huh?”

“Well, it's why I'm here,” she answered with a smirk. Drake chuckled lightly.

“There's a human term for it but I can't remember it. We’re all like this,” he said, lightly gesticulating to his hips. “We all have both.” Terra started, cocking her head to the side in confusion. Surely, she heard him incorrectly.

“You have a v-?”

“Yes.”

“and a p-?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” she said, her eyes unflinchingly trained on his hips until he began squirming in embarrassment. “Sorry,” she said snapping her head to the left and taking another sip of her tea. Hopefully, the heat would hide the feverish blush starting to stain her cheeks. “I’m pretty sure the word you're looking for is intersex.”

“Yes.”

“So...you’re all intersexed.” He nodded reluctantly. “Why?”

“Grand Alpha says it's because we’re the ‘best species on earth’.” Terra lightly chuckled at his exasperated use of air quotes. It brought a small real smile to his face. “The ability for all of us have a child with anyone regardless of gender ensures that we’ll never die out. And that ‘clearly’ means we were never meant to die out. So it must be ‘Divine Intervention,’ he says.”

“Sounds like you don't believe your...what is a Grand Alpha anyway?”

“A King basically,” he answered with an eye roll. “He thinks it’s the Gods plan,” a mischievous smile snuck onto his face and he inched closer to Terra as if he were sharing the secrets of the universe, “but my mother found evidence that its basic evolution from an apex predator species.”

“Your mother?”

“Mhm,” he said with a small sad nod before his eyes lit up with excitement. “Oh!” He exclaimed and turned to her. “Mother! Of course! Why didn't I think of it before?”

“Think of what?” She asked as he bounded out of his seat.

“Wait here!” He said as he ran back into the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Terra sighed and took a sip of tea while taking in the decor. It was, for lack of a better phrase, very Draco: warm and nurturing yet calculated and deliberate. Every trinket or dust collector looked as if it had been picked to represent the most ordinary family yet most of them reminded her of Draco in some genuine way. She could easily imagine Marcus and Draco perusing tag sales for items that would make their apartment look lived in, Draco always finding one that spoke to him on an intimate level and begging Marcus to buy it. Her eyes landed on a lovely enamel painted trinket box, decorated with tiny crystals, of a penguin father doting on his infant son.

_Very Draco_ , indeed, she thought to herself. She perked up as he bounded back into the room with a thick old-fashioned leather journal in his hands. An antique, she assumed, based on its frayed edges of yellowed parchment.

“You really shouldn't have to ask me every question about dragon biology,” he said as he opened the book gingerly. “Unfortunately, there are no published biology books for us.”

“Why?” She asked as she leaned in to get a better look over his shoulder.

“There’s no demand for it. Most Alphas don't have to parent alone. My mother wrote one before she died and I needed it to learn about my body...and her,” he added as he lovingly caressed the edges. “There's a very extensive section on Alpha females because her sister was one. Take it.” He closed the book and placed it in her lap. She stared at it, speechless.

“But this is a special gift from your mom-” she started.

“That she created to help other dragons. I’m sure she’d be especially honored if you, of all dragons, were to learn from it,” he assured with an honest smile. Slowly, she caressed the cover much like Draco had. The front leather was austere and unscathed, and the Coptic binding was secured with frazzled natural thread. She carefully opened it to the first page where she was greeted by a gorgeous scripted dedication that read ‘To my Draco’. On the second page she found a rather informal table of contents. Scribbled in topics ranged from Dragon skeletons, reproduction, digestion, neurons, hormones, you name it. From the looks of it, Draco's mother had seen fit to cover everything that would also be found in a Human Biology 101 course in school.  Terra smiled. _This must be where Draco gets his inquisitiveness from_ , she thought to herself.

 _If so, he will make a fine mate._ Terra choked.

_Those weren’t my thoughts!_

“Terra?” She looked up at his concerned face, shock still clear on her own. “You okay?” She nodded and cleared her throat in affirmation.

“This doesn't mean I’m a dragon.”

“Sure because sprouting new reproductive organs is a human trait,” he quipped with a smirk.

“I could be ground zero for a new era of human evolution, so we don't go extinct either,” she teased before sticking her tongue at him goodnaturedly.

“Yeah because more Humans is exactly what the world needs now. Terra, please just take the book,” he asserted with a pleasant grin.

“Will it tell me why these changes are happening so suddenly?”

“Not specifically but that’s the part that worries me. I knew your inner camouflage was failing but now I think - I’m scared your outer camouflage is failing too.”

“You mean I might-will I-will I just change in public?”

“We’re trying to avoid that,” he muttered worriedly to himself. She could almost smell the anxiety radiating from him. “Have you ever been upstate?” He asked cheerily. Terra blinked. _The boy's emotions switch on a whim._ “Seen the Catskill mountains?”

“No.”

“Some friends of mine have a sanctuary up there. I could show you how to control your shifting if you come with me up there,” he added. Terra stared into his large pleading eyes and sighed. _There's no way mom will be okay with this and do I even want to know this badly?_ She thought to herself.

 _Of course, you do_ , the familiar voice asserted. Terra started again, gulping to keep from choking.

“Let me think about it,” she said as she clutched the book and got up to leave. “I’ll text you when I’m ready,” she said as she made a beeline for the front door. Draco shot up and made to open the door for her but hesitated. He turned to face her, his auric reptilian eyes on full display.

“Terra,” He started, “I'm sorry that I'm putting so much pressure on you but I'm worried that if we don’t go soon you might shift in public and humans would see you. No one is supposed to know we exist. It would put us all in danger, but it would put you in direct danger. “ His eyes shifted anxiously from her face to the book. She sighed.

“Draco, I-”

“Human soldiers are already trigger happy towards each other. I can only imagine what they would do if they saw you in broad daylight!” The blatant fear in his voice was unmistakable, whether it was justified or not. Terra stiffened.

_Perhaps if I tell Mom that Marcus is also coming with us to supervise? And that I’m studying the animals for….science? What other choice do I even have?_

“Please come with me this weekend.”

“I’ll do my best...but I make no promises.” It was enough to assuage him. He let her  go, wishing her safe travels in the short trip home and by the time she arrived she was in the perfect mood to not only start what was sure to be a fascinating read but also to finally get some answers to her many questions. However, just as she turned to the first true page detailing the very foundations of dragon anatomy, the biggest question, one she would have been more preoccupied with had her body not started sprouting new appendages, rushed the forefront of her thoughts like a stampede.

_Wait! If no one is supposed to know we exist, why am I here in the first place?!_


End file.
